Eye of the Storm
by anime-dragon-tamer
Summary: FaytMaria When a storm forces Fayt and Maria to spend the night at an inn, will it bring then to realize that they love each other? 3 part fic. sorry guys
1. Eye of the Storm Part 1

Dragon Tamer here, or just DT for short. Fox let me borrow Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, and MAN! Does it ROCK OUT LOUD! - So, me decided to write a fanfic about our favorite couple, Fayt and Maria! WARNING This is a lemon fic (and for the stupid people in the world who just like to click on random thing for no reason, well, like me for example :b … this is a 'sexually romantic' fic) between guess who. (Fayt and Maria, for the aforementioned) Geez, I can't believe I ACTUALLY writing this… - He he, oh well. Something a little different never killed anyone (that I know of, anyway…but I don't know that many people to begin with so…)

Me do not own Star Ocean, I think SquareEnix does, or that's what it sez on the cover -

P.S. You know I just like to be stupid with the disclaimers (Even I admit I didn't know what a lemon fic was at first.)

* * *

The Eye of the Storm

"Alright, that's everything." Fayt say as he checked everything twice. "Ready to go, Maria?" He looked over at the beautiful, young Earthling that accompanied him in his mission. She smiled at him as she picked up her bag.

"Mm-hm, mission completed so let's head back." She replied, pushing away a few stray, blue hairs dangling around her face. Fayt pulled his communicator from his back pocket and clicked a few buttons. A holographic screen popped up with Cliff's face on it.

"Yo, Cliff here, sup?" he said in his normal laid-back tone.

"This is Fayt," he replied to the Klausian, "Maria and I completed the objective and we're heading back to Arias—"

"Uh… yeah, about that…" Fayt watched the screen as Cliff scratched the back of his head. Maria stood next to Fayt as Cliff explained their situation.

"Well, we ran into some trouble down here and, well…" Cliff scratched his head once more.

"Well what?" Fayt asked, slightly impatient.

"Mirage managed to set up a quick trip transporter get us to Aquios, away from all the trouble brewin' down there."

"Hm, well…" Fayt replied in a surprised but sarcastic tone. "Knowing you, I thought you'd be the one to start it."

"Ha ha, Fayt…" Cliff responded, "Last thing I'd EVER think of doing is starting a riot… Anyway, were stuck in Aquios now. The transport program got shorted-out and might take awhile for it to boot back up again…"

"Well, that's not as bad as it could get…" Fayt sighed.

"Fayt, Aquios isn't that far, is it?" Maria asked. She hasn't been on Elicoor II as much as Fayt and Cliff had.

"Hey, now that you mentioned it…" he said to himself, then back to his communication, "Cliff, just stay there. All we have to do it cross through Peterny and go through Irisa Fields and we'll be there by nightfall."

"Alright then, you da boss…" Cliff replied. "Just make it here in one piece. Later." Fayt nodded, turn his communicator off and place back in his pocket.

"Well, Fayt…" Maria said as she looked at him with those bright green eyes of hers. He picked up his own bag and looked at her.

"Aquios isn't all that far from where we are." He answered. Then he looked up at the sky. It began to turn gray and cloud up some as of late, but it wasn't really that bad of weather. "And besides the weather hasn't been so—" He stopped as a drop of rain fell on his forehead. Soon several more followed until a shower kicked up. "On second thought…"

"Well, now what?" Maria said, with the same disgruntled face as he had. She placed her hands on her hips in that 'annoyed' sort of way. Fayt sighed as he gave a quick solution to their plight.

"Guess we just go the nearest inn and wait out the storm." Maria nodded in response.

"Alright. We don't exactly have a choice in the matter…" Fayt sighed once more. The rain quickly picked up as they discussed the matter. It quickly turned from a small shower to a full-blown downpour. "Aw, man… damn rain's getting worse." He looked over at Maria, completely soaked from the falling rain. Her clothes were plastered to her skin, showing every delicate feature of her body. Strand of wet hair stuck to her soft cheeks. Fayt could feel his face blushing a bit; it had always amazed him how he was in the presence of such beauty. He held his hand out to her.

"Well, let's go. Wouldn't want you to catch a cold." She looked up to see his smiling face, water dripping from the tips of his aqua blue hair. She nodded and gladly took his hand. Her face turned a little rosy as she felt how gentle he was, despite his prowess as a great swordsman. She smiled back as the two quickly headed towards the Great Trading Town of Peterny.

* * *

The rain continued to grow heavier and heavier with each passing second as the two ran to the west side of Peterny. Fayt held his arm up to keep the rain out of his eyes. He still grasped Maria's hand, leading her to their location. She held on to it tightly, never wanting to let go. Her face continued to stay blushed while raindrops fell on her warm cheeks.

"_His hand… It's… so gentle…It's hard to believe his so strong…" _she thought, turning even redder at the very thought of him. _"It's strange though…he has such a kind personality that you'd never expect—" _

"We made it." Fayt said, slightly out of breath. They stood outside of the Front Door, Peterny's more luxurious inn. Maria snapped back to reality as they entered. In the front lobby, she took her hair and begun to ring the water out of it. Fayt merely shook his head like a dog, shaking water in every direction.

"Fayt!" Maria yelled, only in surprise. Fayt looked at her, scratching the back of his head and showing one of his heart-warming smiles.

"Oops, sorry about that, Maria. Old habit…" he apologized. She began to blush once again and wonder off into her own thoughts.

"_Aw, he's kind of cute when he smiles. And smart…and so powerful, yet kind all at the same time… Mm, please don't tell me that… I'm actually falling—"_

"Ah, Mr. Leingod. It's been quite some time. What brings you here?" the innkeeper behind the lobby desk said, breaking Maria off her thoughts. The lady smiled as they walked up to her.

"Oh, sorry about the floor." Fayt apologized once more, this time from dragging in the water.

"That's no problem. Your probably not the last one either." She sighed. "It's a mess out there, isn't it?

"Yeah, we were on our way to Aquios to meet with the rest of our group, then we got caught out in this rain…" he explained. "Do you have a small room we can use for the night? Nothing real fancy, just—"

"Your in luck." She replied, "We have just a room open that suits your situation perfectly. For one night, that will be 250 fol. Is that O.K.?"

"Perfect!" Fayt said. The innkeeper looked behind him to see Maria trying to ring out her wet hair.

"The rain must really be getting worse…" she exclaimed. "You get your room fixed at the other desk and we can find you two some spare clothes." She walked out from behind the desk, walked next to Maria and smiled. Maria nodded.

"Alright, sounds good." She answered. She looked at Fayt, who nodded back to her.

"I'll get everything situated here and I'll meet you there." He replied. She nodded back and followed the innkeeper down the hallway.

* * *

"Here, these should fit you." The innkeeper said as she handed Maria an outfit. She looked at it, a white, button up, long-sleeved shirt and a pair of blue shorts. "What size do you think he wears?"

"Um, a medium, I think." Maria replied, recalling the information she discovered on Fayt.

"O.K., then I think this will fit." She pulled a shirt similar to the one she gave Maria, only short-sleeved, and a pair of tan shorts. Then she handed them to Maria.

"Thank you very much." She said. The innkeeper smiled.

"Oh, no thanks is necessary." She replied, giggling a bit. Maria looked at her slightly blushed.

"Um, what's so funny?" she asked. The innkeeper smiled once again.

"It's nothing." She continued giggling. "Just…"

"Wait a second. You don't think—" Maria stated, her voice getting louder.

"It's written all over you face." She replied, "You have a crush on him don't you?"

"…I don't know what you're talking about!" Maria nearly shouted. Her face turned pinkish-red.

"Well, I think you two would be cute together…" the innkeeper smiled as Maria's temper calmed down.

"You… you really think so?" Maria timidly asked. She looked off for a minute, thinking. She could feel, deep within her heart, that Fayt really was the one for her. Like if they were destined to meet. But she knew that it would never be possible…

"Well, if anything happened between you two, you'll have complete privacy." The innkeeper said, giggling once more. Instantly, Maria's calmness dissipated, bringing back her anger.

"What's THAT supposed to mean? I didn't come here just so I could screw him or something like that! We're only here because of this stupid storm." Maria ranted, crossing her arms at some point.

"I was just kidding…" the innkeeper said, still laughing a little, "But, you never know what might happen when you find that one special person…" Maria went back to her timid state to think once more. She handed the clothes to her, nodded and left back to her post just as Fayt walked up.

"Hey, Maria." He said, in his normal cheery mood. "I got the key…" he looked at her, who seemed quite distant at the time, with her face still red. "Are you O.K.? You look a little red, sure you don't have a fever or something?"

"I'm fine, Fayt." She replied, "Nothing's wrong." She looked at him, trying to convince he nothing really was wrong, though she was still blushing. She then walked down the hall to their room.

"Hey, wait up!" Fayt quickly followed behind her.

* * *

The first thing Maria wanted to do the second they reach their room was to take a bath. Not only for the obvious reasons, but she just need time to herself to think. Of course, she decided not to mention that part to Fayt. She left his spare clothes on the bed, took her own clothes and went to the bathroom. He sighed and sat on the floor, remembering that his clothes were soaked from the rain.

"_Geez, what's up with her?"_ he thought, running his fingers through his wet hair. He turned his head to look out the window. The rain showed no signs of stopping, instead it continued to grow worse. He did admit, though, the rain was quite peaceful. _"Guess I'll get changed then."_

He walked over to the door, locked it and went back to the bed. Then he kicked off his boots, detached his armor and placed his sword up against the wall. He looked at the shirt and short Maria left for him lying on the dark red bedspread. He pulled off his soaked shirt and shook his head again. As he threw it on to the floor, he noticed himself in the mirror hanging on the wall. He always knew he was the scrawny-type, looking at his bare chest. But, he was still quite muscular in his own way, mostly from his years of playing Battle Simulations. He pushed his hair back again, only for it to fall back in to it original place. Then he sighed and began to change his pants.

"_Well that's a relief…" _he thought, throwing them on to the floor where his shirt lied. He looked down at his blue-plaid boxers to the easing discovery that they had remained dry. He grabbed the shorts and put them on. As he began to put the shirt on, he looked back at his reflection in the mirror, only to she see his face had turned red. Of course, he knew that in the back of his mind he was thinking about her.

"_Maria…_" he continued thinking, "_Whenever I think about her, I just…"_ He sighed and found himself now sitting on the bed. He started to button up his shirt. "_I've only known her for so long, but…" _He only buttoned it up about half way before he stopped. He was now sitting straightforward with his legs crossed Indian-style, now flipping through his wallet. "_Is- Is there anyway I can get her to see how I feel? Is there anyway possible…" _He stopped as he noticed the corner of some type of wrapper in one of his wallet's pockets.

"Wait a minute. Is that—" he started to pull the blue wrapper out, but he instantly stopped once he realized what it was. "What tha! How the hell did that get in there?" For some reason, an image popped up in the back of his mind of a certain Klausian with a big goofy smile and his hand in a "V" sign. "Cliff…"

_"Hey, Fayt. Whatcha up to?" Cliff walked into Fayt's room aboard the Diplo, who was packing his bag with supplies._

"_Oh, Cliff. Just preparing for the mission with Maria." He replied._

"_Well, I just thought I'd bring you something you might could use." Cliff smiled really big as he pulled something from his back pocket._

"_Ah—" Fayt was pretty much stunned as he saw the same blue wrapper from before. He fanatically looked around him to see if anyone else was there to notice._

"_What, you really so dense that you don't even know what a condom is—"_

"_Yes I know what a frickin' condom is!" Fayt shouted but in a hushed tone, "But why are you giving me one?"_

_"Well…" Cliff started, "It IS just the two of you. As they say, "Better safe then sorry…"_

_"What! Cliff, what in the hell are you talking about?" Fayt could feel his face turning red. _

_"He he, you know…" Cliff smiled with that goofy grin of his. _

_"Uh, know… what?" Fayt stuttered._

_"Oh, come on…" Cliff responded to Fayt's obviously fake answer. "Two teenagers, all by themselves. He he, you two aren't exactly minors anymore…" Fayt just sat were he was, frozen with embarrassment. "Well, I'll just leave it in here." Cliff picked up Fayt's wallet lying in the bed, opened it up and placed it in one of the pockets. He then closed it and pat it a couple of times. "Go get em, tiger!" _

_He laid it back on the bed and exited the room, leaving a stunned, flushed-face Fayt behind._

Fayt continued staring at it with that same flustered look as before. He kept rethinking the same thoughts over and over; every one of them had to do with her. But, for some reason, he felt like his mind was blank.

_"Hm, maybe it wouldn't be so bad… if we…" _he started think but quickly shook his head, knocking the thought out. _"What the hell am I thinking? Man…" _He put it back in his wallet and closed it. _"If Maria catches me with that, she's gonna think I'm some sort of pervert for sure…" _He fell backwards and stretched out across the bed.

"_But, I wonder… What does she really think of me…"

* * *

_

While Fayt thought of all these things, Maria was have her own troubles as well. She sat in the bathtub full of warm water with her long hair tied up with her red ribbon, to keep it from getting wet. She kept her arms crossed over her chest as the water gently caressed her skin.

"_Why is this happening to me?" _she thought, bringing a hand to her warm face. She could fell it turning shades of pink. _"Every time I think of him I… I feel strange…" _She began to feel her heart beating faster inside her chest.

"_My heart feels like it's about to burst. I feel lightheaded and then…" _she continued thinking. She grasped herself tighter as every thought of him made her body twinge with this strange, new emotion.

"_I've haven't known him for very long, but I just feel like he's the one. Oh, Fayt…" _she sighed and used her hand to cover her blushing face. After a few seconds passed, she removed the drain stopper, draining the bath water.

As she stood up to get her towel, she took a moment to look at herself. A near-perfect hourglass figure graced her, not to mention her unsurpassable beauty. She was look like a delicate flower, but her muscles were well toned. She was near equivalent to a goddess, but yet, in her heart she though that even with her looks, she would never be with the one she treasured most.

"_Fayt… Will he ever see… that he's the one I love?"

* * *

_

Meanwhile, something finally broke Fayt out of his thoughts—his stomach. He looked down as he felt it rumbling. For some reason, it made him fell a little embarrassed too.

"_Jeez, I forgot that I haven't really had much to eat today." _He thought as he scratched his head. _"Hm, I wonder if Maria's hungry too?"_ He got up and walked towards the bathroom.

"Maria?" he called, knocking gently at the door. Inside, Maria stood silently, clutching the blue towel wrapped around her warm, wet body. She felt frozen in place, unable to speak or… anything. "Hey, Maria?" Fayt called once more. He knocked several times, then twisted the doorknob. To his surprised, the door was unlocked…

Unintended, his hand seemed to open it all on it's own. Or was Fayt doing this subconsciously? He was unsure of this answer, but suddenly he felt breathless, something knocking the wind out of him. He knew what was beyond that opening door, something he knew he would regret, but within his mind, something continued to drive him through this event. As the door came completely open, he almost tripped, but caught himself in an attempt to make this appear as though it was an accident. He slowly looked up to see the sight he was regretting.

It was Maria, towel-clad, standing inside the room. Fayt could only stare, speechless and flush-faced once more. His eyes couldn't help but follow every inch of her figure, eyeing that delicate curve she had. However, he expected her with a rage like most women tend to do. But as he looked up to see her beautiful face, he notice her expression was different… way different. It was an expression of fright, almost scared. She held herself tightly as she looked at Fayt with her eyes full of shock. As hard as she tried, she couldn't explain why she was so scared.

"Uh…" Fayt tried saying, but couldn't get any words to come out of his mouth. Finally, he just blurted out, "I-I'm sorry, M-Maria! I-I didn't mean to, uh… I… um… I'm just going to…eh, yeah…" He continued blushing and backed up out of the bathroom, pointing in the direction he was going. The second he was out, he slammed the door, turned to where his back faced it and slid down it, releasing a gasping sigh of relief.

"_I-I can't believe I just did that!" _he though, pushing his fingers through his hair again. He felt breathless, like he had just run in a marathon. As he sat there, he could feel the tension growing below. It made him blush even more. "_I mean, s-she was practically naked, for crying out loud! …Man, she going to hate me for sure…" _Right then, he just wished he could rewind time and stop this all from happening.

However, on the other side of the door, a stunned Maria was still contemplating the past event. She no longer had the scared expression from before; instead it was more of an empty expression. She felt like there was a hole inside her heart, deep, black and empty. Truth be told, she actually didn't care for what happened. In fact, she more or less enjoyed it. The way he looked at her, that cute, nervous expression he had. It just drove her insane, to a point. Her body contracted itself, make her grasp herself tighter, pushing the towel closer. She fell to her knees, trembling from the events that have taken place. Soon she felt herself gasping lightly the name of her secret love.

"Fayt… Oh, Fayt…"

* * *

DT: Eh, uh-oh… It's already over 3000 words… Maybe me should stop here with a part one? Yes! That is an excellent idea! I'm glad I thought of it… -; right… It originally was a one-shot… It still is, just in two parts now. -; Hm, maybe it'll be better this way… You guys can tell me what you think so far! . Anyway, stay tune for Part 2, coming to a computer screen near you! (Oy, Oo; That was corny..)

I also just thought about something… To my knowledge, this is the first M-rated Fayt/Maria fic on (if, someone out there hasn't already beaten me to it! Eep! OO;) Well, I did my best and poured my all into it! I hope you guys think so to. This is also my first romance fic too. I thought I'd try out this genre to see how I'd do, even though I started this back in April, damn I'm lazy… Well, I've been reading what I've typed to Fox over the phone, and he said it was one of the most well written fanfics he read. (Well, hear technically…) Oh, me so nervous… I hope I do good. hopeful smile DT out for now! -


	2. Eye of the Storm Part 2

DT: I'm back! Something stupid before we start… my computer has been starting to act likes me, BOTH of them… My dad's computer is constantly running scan checks for no reason and my computer like to freeze up all the time, especially while I'm either typing or working on a CG. It isn't so bad for my typing cause I use Microsoft Word and it has that 'recover' thing, but it sucks for my CGs. Sure you're probably thinking it just does that or it's a virus, but I think it's just bored… like me! Or, it's another government conspiracy… whatever that case may be… Well, anyway on with Part 2 and all it's lemony goodness. -

To everyone who left a review, THANK YOU!!!! From the bottom of my heart… If I knew where that was. And free waffles that have a Roger S. Huxley squeezie toy inside the box! YAY!!!

BTW, the first part seemed more "T" then "M" didn't it… Yeah, this was suppose to be all together but I'M SO FRICKIN' LAZY so me split it in two… Heh heh… Plus it's pretty long, probably has nothing to do with it… or does it? OO; Anyhoo, this chapter should clarify it.

Disclaims still apply… duh! I bet all you intelligent people out there already knew that. -

…Ok, I'll shut up now…

* * *

Eye of the Storm (Part 2)

A few minutes later, Maria emerged from the bathroom, now completely clothed, but still blushing after the two's 'incident'. Fayt, who was once again sitting on the bed, looked over at her as she set her own armor and gun down where he had left his weapon and hung her clothed next to his in the closet to dry. He was still embarrassed over what happened, but he tried to start a conversation anyway.

"Uh," he started to say, getting her to turn around. He cleared his throat. "You look cute in that outfit." He took into account to the outfit she received from the innkeeper. The short blue shorts that hugged around her hips, along with the slightly baggy, long-sleeved shirt, loosely buttoned, all complemented her well.

"Thanks." She replied in her usual tone with a hint of sternness. She turned back to the closet. Fayt sighed in disappointment.

"_Great, she hates me…"_ He sighed to himself. Then thought of something else to say.

"Are you hungry?" he asked the original question he was going to ask earlier. Of course, he never got his chance. Maria thought for a moment, then gave her reply.

"Sure, I guess…" Fayt stood up, wallet in his back pocket, and headed towards the door.

"O.K., I'm heading to the lobby to get something to eat. You want anything specific?" he said.

"No, not really. But, could you get me some water to drink?" she asked. She still couldn't bear to face him.

"Yeah, sure." He replied. He felt a little depressed now, mostly from what happen earlier. He was never going to get that sight out of his mind. What made it all worse was that, in his mind, he felt that she wouldn't even give him the time of day, much less feel the way he did about her after what he pulled, accident or not. He breathed a silent sigh and left. When she heard the door shut, she turned that direction.

"Hm…" she said in a whimpered tone. She brought her hand to her heart and clutched it. With her clothes now hung, she made her way to the bed and flopped down on it. Then she laid down on her side, stretching herself out. She still grasped her heart, feeling every pulsing beat it made.

"_Oh…Fayt, I'm so sorry."_ she thought. She couldn't accept how she acted so coldly to him. Maybe it was just her instincts as a woman… possibly. For now it was her only excuse. For that reason, she just felt like crying, but she couldn't get tears to come. Perhaps it was cause she gave up crying a long time ago. She remembered the last time that she ever cried, the day she lost her mom. She didn't know if she'd ever stop crying. But she realized that she had to grow up, she could spend the rest of her life shedding tears, so she gave up on it. From that day on, not another tear rolled down her cheek. But now it was all she wanted to do.

"I'm such an idiot…" she said, her voice quivering wanting to cry so badly. "Oh, I don't want Fayt to see me like this." She sat back up and tried her hardest to straighten up. A few more minutes past, with Maria back somewhat to her normal self, when Fayt reappeared, carrying two sandwiches and two bottles of water.

"I wasn't entirely sure what you'd want, so I got you the same thing I got." He said handing her a sandwich. She opened it up; it contained two slices of ham, a piece of cheese and lettuce, and a slice of tomato. "Um, that's O.K. with you, isn't it?"

"Uh-huh, that's fine." She replied her voice still a little shaky. Fayt gave her one of the waters, threw his wallet on the nightstand next to them, and sat down next to her, not directly; he kept his distance not pushing anything. Both of them then quietly ate their supper.

* * *

The two had finished eating and pasted a half-hour by with awkward silence. But, of course, it seemed much longer for them. They sat in the middle on the edge of the bed, close but distanced all together. Occasionally, Fayt would turn his head to catch a glance at Maria; she would do the same too. Sometimes, their eyes would meet, cause them both to blush and quickly look the other way. Most of the time, they would stare away from each other, getting lost in their thoughts. Eventually, Fayt broke their silence.

"I wonder how long this storm's going to last." He said, Maria looked over to him. They both recalled that the storm, still raging outside, was the only reason they were in this situation. She sighed.

"I don't know… I just hope it doesn't get worse." She replied, pushing back some of her hair; now down in its normal fashion. She looked out the window nervously for a brief moment. Fayt gave a little smile.

"You know, you've been a little jumpy since the rain started. Are you O.K.?" he said, trying his best to start a conversation. Maria just didn't seem like the conversing type. He was also right on that assumption.

"I'm fine… you don't need to worry about me." She stated, turning her head back the opposite direction. She was definitely hiding something. Fayt just sighed and decided to continue anyway.

"Personally, I like rain. It's actually really relaxing to me." He said.

"You don't say." She returned, not sounding to enthused.

"Hey, Maria." Fayt began to say, she glance back at him. "You know so much about me, yet I know pretty much nothing about you." She turned her head and looked at him with those cute green eyes of hers. "Just a name and an occupation."

"Well, what is there to tell you?" she asked. She defiantly wasn't the type to start a conversation.

"Um, well…" he thought a minute, then replied, "What are some of your hobbies? Well, you know… when you have time for them. I'd say you're pretty busy, being the leader of Quark and all."

"Yeah," she answered, "But in my spare time I'll to read."

"Read, huh?"

"What, something wrong with that?"

"Huh, no! I like reading too, but I'd just prefer writing my own story instead of reading someone else's."

"You, a writer? You're joking, right?"

"Nope, I actually been thinking about seeking it as a profession. Believe it or not, my favorite thing to write about is romance."

"Romance? Seriously?" She knew so much about Fayt but never expected this.

"Yup, this last one I wrote was for my English portfolio. I got straight 1's for that piece. My professor said it one of the best pieces he has ever read."

"Wow, really? Bet you weren't expecting that."

"Well, I worked really hard on it… Huh, ironically the situation in it is very similar to ours."

"What was it about?"

"Well, let's see… It was about these two teenagers, who were in the woods on an assignment. However, they constantly argue and pretty much didn't like each other. Then it starts to rain and they get lost from their camp. Soon they find a castle and the master of it was kind enough to let them stay until the storm pass."

"Where's the romantic part?"

"I'm getting to it… All these events start to happen, and eventually they fall in love with each other."

"It sounds interesting. And you right, it does resemble our situation."

"Well, I mean, aside from the fact that there was a curse on the castle and they were trapped there, until they broke it." He scratched his head.

"Good point. But, you think I could read it sometime."

"Sure, of course." He said with his heart-warming smile. Maria smiled back and giggled a little. It was kind of funny; it felt almost like they were on a first date.

"You know, you're really cute when you smile." Fayt said to her. She looked at him a little wide-eyed with blushing cheeks. Know one, except for Leiber but he doesn't count, has ever said that to her. She couldn't bring herself to say anything; she could only stare into his eyes, that tranquil sea of bright green. However, she quickly turned back around, bringing up her hand to cover her mouth.

"_Hm, I just told her what I thought…" _Fayt sighed as he looked at the embarrassed Maria. To him, it really was cute how she smiled, and blushed, and, well everything she did was cute. He could feel his heart pulsing inside him. Damn, how he wanted her so badly… Not for any sexual desire, but to complete the missing piece in his heart. She was the only piece that would fit.

"Damn, I just remembered…" he said, taking his hand to his forehead and pushing it through his bangs. Maria turned back to him, still rose-colored. She was curious about what he would say. "I'm sorry, for earlier."

"Huh?" she wondered in a soft tone. She looked at him with confusion in her eyes.

"You know, for… uh…" he looked off a little, blushing much like she was, "Well, for what I did… um…" She was still confused. "Looking at you…"

"Oh!" she really had forgotten all about that. "It's alright, really. I was just an accident."

"Yeah…" he said. He still wasn't sure about that fact. More awkward silence followed. This silence ran its course for quite sometime. Fayt tried to bring together the words he wanted to tell her, but they wouldn't come. He was tired, tired of this silence, tired of waiting. The burden of his feelings was too much for him to handle. Finally, his silence was broken.

"Maria, there's something I need to tell you."

She gasped silently as she heard Fayt say these words. Was this going to lead to where she hoped it would?

"Um, yes?" she said, quietly.

"I'm not sure how to put this but, I just can't take it any longer." He continued. Maria looked back at his eyes. They had a gentle yet stern determined feeling in them. "Maria, I…" He stopped.

"Fayt?" she urged him on. Maybe this really was what she thought?

"Maria, I… I…"

"BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!"

Both of them nearly jumped in a heart attack when they heard the loud beeping noise. Fayt realized that it was coming from his pocket. Turns out, he left his communicator on and someone was trying to contact him. The second he pulled it out, the holo screen popped up with the face of a certain Klausian on it.

"Hey, Fayt! Are you there?" Cliff shouted over the communicator.

"Yes, Cliff… I'm here…" Fayt replied in a defeated tone. _"Way to ruin the moment, genius…And I thought I turned this thing off!"_

"Good, you guy's are O.K. It's raining cats and dogs out here." Cliff said back, "Just making sure you two were all right."

"Yeah, we got to Peterny just before the biggest part of the storm hit." Fayt sighed. "So for now we're staying at the inn until the storm passes, which at this rate won't be until tomorrow."

"Inn, huh…" He could see on the screen that Cliff was getting that look on his face. "Say, is Maria with you?"

"Um, yeah… Why?" Fayt stared back at the Klausian with a very confused look.

"Well, I need to talk to you. In private." He responded, emphasizing the last part. Fayt just shrugged his shoulders.

"Uh, alright… Just give me a second." He said then to Maria, "I'll be right back, kay." She nodded as he got up and walked inside the bathroom. While he shut and locked the door, Maria noticed out of the corner of her eye Fayt's wallet, which he carelessly placed on the nightstand earlier.

"Alright, what do you want, Cliff?" Fayt asked, still upset at him for ruining one of the few chances he had of telling Maria how he felt. He now sat on the edge of the bathtub, subconsciously recalling the scenes that happened here.

"Don't you look bummed out." Cliff responded to Fayt's reaction. "Say, I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"

"No…" Was Fayt's answer, even though he really did.

"So having any luck?"

"Uh, with what?"

"Geez, and Mirage calls me dense… You know, putting the moves on—"

"For crying out loud, is THAT all you can think about!?"

"Hey, cool your engines there bucko… I was just asking."

"You need to act your age, Cliff."

"Hey, you're like a little brother to me, Fayt. I just want to make sure your making good decisions…"

"Like what? Telling me to have sex with Maria?"

"Come on. You're both 19 and you've had a crush on her since the day you met her."

"Cliff, it's just not that easy…" Fayt sighed. It was obvious this conversation was going nowhere.

"Well, I'd better get going. Good luck out there and be careful. I do NOT want to be called 'Granddaddy Cliff' just yet."

"Cliff, hang on a second!" Fayt yelled but it was too late. Cliff had already disconnected the conversation. He merely sighed again and made sure his communicator was off this time.

"_This day has officially gone from bad to worse…"_ he sighed.

* * *

Back in the bedroom, while this was all happening, Maria continued sitting on the bed awaiting Fayt's returned. She had her legs up to her chest and was squeezing them against her tightly. Her eyes continued staring at his wallet, the item Fayt did NOT want Maria to find; yet he stupidly left it behind and within her grasp.

"_Oh, I shouldn't…It's not my place to be nosey." _She thought, sighing at the same time. Then her hand reached over to pick it up. "_Well, I guess he won't mind…A little peek wouldn't hurt."_

She smiled to herself as she opened it up and began looking through it. Everything seemed in order; inside was his drivers license, roughly 3500 fol; he was saving for a sword upgrade, a couple past movie tickets, a membership card to a movie rental place and a picture of his parents, Sophia and himself from their vacation on Hyda IV. She was about to close it when she noticed the same thing he did earlier.

"_Huh, what's this?"_ she pondered to herself as she looked at the same blue wrapper that Fayt was dreading her NOT to find. However, it was too late. Maria started tugging at it, but no sooner did she pull out a corner did she realize what it was. Almost instantly, she pushed it back into its pocket, close it shut and slam it down on the nightstand, her face turning redder and redder by the second.

"_Wha-what the hell!?"_ she thought as she felt a sudden rush of fear go through her. "_It can't be! He just isn't the type!" _Her mind instantly began replaying the thought of him being some pervert, concocting the plan of leading her here to do who knows what to her. _"Please, not him…Not my Fayt…"_

Seconds later, the door to the bathroom soon opened. Maria shot her head up the moment the doorknob made its 'click'. She watched in panic as Fayt exited the bathroom and turned towards the bed. When he sat down, she cautiously scooted away. With this, along with the nervous expression on her face, he immediately assumed something wasn't right.

"Maria? Is something wrong?" he asked with a concerned tone. As she looked at him, Fayt recognize the fear he saw in her eyes. Why was she being so hostile towards him? "Please, I'm really worried about you—"

"S-Stay away from me!" she shouted back, her voice shaking in fright; towards him of all people. She couldn't- no, she wouldn't believe the lies playing through her mind. She knew he would never try to do anything like her mind was telling her, but she accepted those lies anyway. "Just, stay away…"

"Maria… Please…" he couldn't believe what she said. The way she sounded, as if she was scared of him. Inside, he felt heartbroken. No more then a minute ago did she seem glad to have him in her company, but now…? Now it was like she wanted nothing to do with him. "Just tell me. I'll listen."

"…" At the moment, she wished she were somewhere else. She felt herself on the verge of tears. All she wanted what to escape from here. Yet, what was holding her back? She found the answer in her heart; she was truly in love with Fayt. All she wanted was to spend the rest of her life with him. But why? Why were her emotions pushing out these answers? She clutched herself tightly as she continued fighting with her emotions.

"Maria?" Fayt was even more worried than before. "I'm begging. Please tell me what's wrong…" He slowly reached a hand out to comfort her. However, she slapped his hand back before it could come near her.

"Don't you dare touch me!" she shouted at him. What was once fear in her voice had now turned to anger. Fayt just look at her, unable to compensated what had just happened. She turned her head towards him. He could see tears beginning to form in her eyes. "I told you to stay away!"

"But, Maria I—" he tried explaining, but to no avail.

"But, what! I know exactly what you're trying to do! You… you pervert!" she shouted again.

"Huh?" he had been lost the minute she started her yelling. He didn't understand what was happening, but he felt hurt, like a gunshot to his heart. "Wait, Maria… just calm down—"

"NO!" she shouted, remaining in blind fury. She started back away, towards the direction of her gun to be exact. Fayt managed to catch on quick enough to grab her by the wrist. Maria strained to get out of his grasp. "Let go of me!"

"Tell me what's wrong." He said as calmly as he could. He wasn't going to give into anger, like Maria had. He still didn't understand what was making her act like this.

"You know," she glared at him, her tears continued to grow. "I found it, Fayt!"

"What?" he was still left in the dark, but he had this sinking feeling inside.

"**It!** You know well what I'm talking about!" she stated, then pointing at his wallet, right where it was left. Fayt looked behind him then was completely stunned. Yet he kept a firm grip on Maria.

"…" He stared in silence, unable to connect words together to solve his problem. However, his own emotions began to take over.

"Is this just part of some sick game?" Maria began ranting again. "I'm I just some… pawn to complete your twisted sex fantasy or something? Well! Answer me!" She stared at him, confused by anger and fear. He was still turned looking the other way. "Answer me, Fayt!"

"…Damn it!" he yelled and pounded his left fist in to his leg. Maria jolted back a little in surprise, but could go much farther with Fayt's other hand still holding tightly around her wrist. He still faced the opposite direction of her. "Cliff… that son of a—"

"What does he have to do with this!?" Maria countered. Fayt slowly turned to see the once enraged expression she had turn to surprise.

"…If it wasn't for that bastard…" he said, his expression somewhat upset more than angry. He pushed his fist harder into his leg. Maria looked at him apprehensively; she could feel his rage built inside him. Suddenly, it all hit her like with the force of a cannon. How could she have been so stupid and blind? Fayt just didn't have it in him to do such things, she knew from the beginning but just wouldn't she the truth.

"Fayt…" she said timidly. He looked at her, his eyes showing his true emotion. She could see the sadness and uneasiness reflecting in them, how upset he was with himself. Maria felt heartbroken, how could she let herself do this to the one she cared about most? "Fayt, I—"

* * *

"FLASH!"

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"

The room stood silent. Maria gasped as the flash of lightning flickered against the walls. When the thunder roared, she felt like the air was pushed out of her lungs. She was instantly petrified by her new fear, quickly followed by an unconscious reflex.

"Ahhh!" she cried and latched her arms around Fayt. He felt her pressing against him, shaking in fear. His once upset expression softened. "_Ah! What… am I doing?" _she questioned this only for a brief second. She soon felt herself falling into his arms as he held her close. She could feel his warmth, his gentle strength causing her fear to melt away. He placed his arms around her and cradled her. Another bolt flashed in the window followed by a roar of thunder. She screamed once more, and Fayt held her closer.

"Don't worry." His voice calmed her. "So this is what you were so worried about earlier."

"Uh-huh." Maria said in a very shaky tone. Fayt let go of her wrist and used his free hand to stroke her long silky hair. He felt her warm face pressed against his collarbone as he did his best to comfort her. It surprised him really. When he first met her, she seemed as if she wasn't afraid of anything. "It's so stupid… To be scared of such a trivial thing… But, I can't help. I've always been afraid, since I was little…"

"Maria, its O.K." he replied, "We all have things we're scared of… I don't think your fear is stupid."

"But…" she began, but the storm stopped her once more. Fayt held her tighter, confining her screams to a frightened cry.

"Shhh… I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." He comforted her. Holding her like this, he felt he could protect her. To shield her from anything that would hurt her. He rested his cheek on top of her head, but soon he felt something wrong. He looked down to see Maria shaking, but not from fear.

"Fayt… I'm so sorry." She said barely, her voice shaking so much. He looked down to find her beautiful green eyes now stained with tears. He could feel them hitting his skin as they rolled down her rose cheeks. "You're so sweet and kind, yet I've put you through so much pain… I just… I just wish that I could forget this ever happened." Another thunderous roar caused her to flinch once more. "Perhaps this storm is a punishment for what I've done."

"… No, I think you wrong…" he replied. She felt his hand softly wiping away tears from her delicate cheek. Fayt sighed to himself. "In fact, I may be the one to apologize." Maria felt the same hand gently tilt her chin upward. He closed his eyes and carefully made his final move. Soon, she found his lips pressing against hers. Her eyes opened in a daze, but she soon she was melting into his kiss. She forgot everything, the storm, their augment; all of it faded away. All that mattered to her now was the man whose lips touched hers with such indescribable passion. However, it all came crashing back to her as the kiss let go. His hand slowly left its resting place, causing her head to lie against his chest once more.

"_I'm sorry…" _Fayt though _"I felt…as if this was all I could do to prove my feelings. I hope you can forgive me…" _But then he felt something grasp his hand; it was Maria's own hand. He looked at her in some confusion.

"Fayt, could you…" she began, her voice soft and timid. She lifted her head to reveal her face. As he looked at her, he sensed a different feeling from her. What it was however was a mystery to both of them. "Could you… um, do that again?" Her eyes still held tears. Glancing at them as she said these words made him want to do anything he could to make those tears disappear. But looking deeper into them, they turned to tears of delight. He nodded to her request and placed his lips against hers once more.

* * *

The rain continued its downpour outside. Heavy droplets thrashed onto the window and struck against the roof. Yet all of this noise was left unheard by the two lovers. Their passionate kiss made everything fade in a dying background. Fayt could feel the warmth radiate from her, from her lips to her hand gripped over his to her waist where his arm held her close to him. He used this arm to venture around this area. Every curve, her waist, hips, back, had not been left untouched by his hand. He pressed harder against her silky lips, only to make him hunger from them more. They broke apart, gasping softly for air.

"Maria…" he said in between breaths, "I wanted so say this earlier but I couldn't bring myself to say it. I love you, Maria! I've loved you since the day I met you."

"Oh, Fayt, I love you too!" she nearly cried in blissfulness. The sounds of those words echoed in their hearts, lifting the weights place on them from the night's events. However, the storm still held strong, sending another thunderous roar to drive Maria into fear again.

"It won't hurt you." Fayt tried to calm her. He made a vow to himself to protect her.

"Just… make me forget. Make me forget about this storm!" she said. He looked at her, frightened and terrified. He placed his hand behind her head and pushed it towards him, kissing her gently.

"Please, no tears…" he said to calm her. "A beautiful girl like you has no reason to cry." He kissed her once more, like he couldn't get enough of her sweet lips. As he deepened their heated kiss, he felt Maria bringing herself closer by dragging on of her legs over his laps. He switched arms, the one once holding her now using its hand to stroke her leg. Each time it passed its path grew longer, traveling from her knee up to her waist and continued to grow. Meanwhile, their lips played an equally passionate role. Fayt's tongue pressed playfully against her bottom lip. It licked it gently, wanting passage inside. Maria granted his request and gradually parted her lips.

This gave way to new experiences for both as he pushed his tongue inside her mouth. He trembled in pleasure, tasting every sweet inch of her hot mouth. Their tongues met and began their course; massaging one another and exploring the others own territory. Hearing Maria release a small moan in their kiss began driving Fayt to a new sensation. Now fully aware of the situation, he realized how much he needed her. His tongue played mischievously with hers as his hand continued its pursuit. Whether on purpose or unintentionally, he may never know, his hand made its way far enough to grope her breast. The moment he felt the soft firmness beneath her shirt on his fingertips, he instantly stopped, breaking their kiss and all.

"Maria, I-I didn't mean to—" he began; startled and afraid she was mad at him.

"Why… why did you stop?" she responded. She looked at him with confused yet desiring eyes.

"Y-You mean you didn't mind?" Fayt questioned. Maria nodded her head.

"Please continued." She answered. She grabbed his hand and placed it against her cheek. He stared into her eyes, sensing the longing emotion for him to go farther. It felt like an eternity from him to finally admit his feelings, but never imagined it would lead him here. He nodded and continued.

His hand left her cheek and travel slowly to her breasts. He rubbed it cautiously at first, still nervous about the experience. But soon it all felt natural to him. He could feel the silkiness of her bra underneath her blouse, leaving him to image what it felt like to actually touch it.

Maria pushed his head closer leaning in for another kiss. He eagerly accepted and pressed again for their liplock. They kissed for what felt like an eternity, neither one of them could get enough of the other. Meanwhile, his hand left his position for a new idea. His fingers traveled up to her neck and trailed down, causing her to shiver at his very touch. He passed down her collarbone all the way to her chest until the fabric of her shirt stopped him. At this point, he decided to brave a new plan to test his luck. Slowly, he undid one of the buttons. He pushed away what fabric was unbuttoned, causing her to gasp from the combination of the cool air and his warm touch against her skin. With no signs of her resisting, he continued down, hesitantly undoing each button, which was somewhat difficult to do with one hand. Once completed, his hand passed inside around her bare waist to rub up and down her back. He accomplished this all with out letting go of her sweet lips.

Once more he broke their kiss, only to take a change in their surroundings. He signaled her to their change and she complied by standing up. Fayt then removed the deep wine red bedspread and pulled up the white sheets beneath it. Then he turned to Maria, who covered herself with her loose, undone blouse now starting to slide of her shoulders. He walked over to her and picked her up like a knight in shining armor would to his damsel in distress. Then he kissed her once on her lips and laid her down gently on the soft bed. Then he joined her, lying closely next to her.

"So, now what?" she asked. Fayt placed another arm around her waist to pull her closer to him.

"Whatever you want, Maria." He responded, then closed his sentence with another kiss. This time, however, they didn't separate. They intended on dragging this out for as long as they could. They had tasted to nectar of love's sweet flower and never wanted to let go of it. As their kiss intensified greatly, Fayt felt something pushing on his back. It was Maria's hand, pulling him closer to where he was starting to climb on top of her. He figured her plan quickly and complied with it. Steadily, he began to move over on top, holding the kiss in the process. Soon he laid over her, only his arms supported him. He broke their kiss as he continued to pacify Maria's fear of the storm.

"I-Is this was you wanted?" he gasped slightly as he regained air. She only nodded in response but gave hints to what she wanted. He looked down towards where she was hinting at to see her blouse was slipping away, revealing her creamy skin in contrast to her navy blue bra.

Though it was a small view, it was still enough to leave him in a gasping state. He hurriedly pulled the rest away to show himself more, then stopped for a moment to admire the site before him. The soft light from the lantern lighting the room gave Maria a golden orange-like glow, almost as if an angel was lying before him. His eyes traveled up and down her body, taking in every sweet moment.

One thing his eyes were fixated on were her breasts. He noticed them, always confined behind her chest armor. Even when he saw her in just a towel, they still were restrained. But now he had full view of her exquisite bosom, cupped gently beneath her deep blue satin bra that matched the full moon night sky. However, a small whimper from her pulled Fayt from his trance to continue his quest.

He gently lowered himself down to her lips to continue where he left off. After a few minutes as their kiss deepened, Maria was the one asking for permission inside. As he felt her tongue pressing on his own lips, he eagerly accepted her offer. She sucked on his bottom lip gently before letting herself in. Though the two played the tongue tango for sometime, Fayt let go, wanting to explore his new treasure.

He began kissing her cheek, then nuzzled it against his own. Then he continued, going towards her ear. He let a soft breath in it and nibbled on the outer edge. Next he made his way to her neck. He pushed back her hair and kissed it hastily. She shivered as she felt his lips tickle her neck, bending it so he would have more access. New sensations began to grow inside of him as he led a trail of kisses ending for the moment at her bosom. He was transfixed at them; recalling how just touching them drove him insane. He set his head down gently onto her chest, his cheek setting on her warm skin.

Suddenly he felt her hands running through his thick blue hair, pressing him harder against her. She let out another moan wanting more. Her grip loosened as Fayt raised up slight to regain his breath. He looked up at her and noticed that look in her eyes as she moved her hands down and tugged at his shirt collar.

"Hm? Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Yes, there's something we need to get rid off." She teased him then began unbuttoning his shirt. She accomplished this much quicker, due to the fact she had the use of both her hands. He pulled himself back to her level allowing her easier access as she pushed the article off him. As she gazed at him, she admitted he truly was a stick, but had his own sort of masculinity to him. Fayt was the perfect man for her, she thought.

"Well if you're getting rid of things," he smirked and began his own motions, "Then it's my turn." He began pulling at the sleeves to her shirt. Catching on, she lifted herself the best she could, still with her lying down. Shortly, he took her shirt as well as his own and discarded them onto the floor, starting a pile that would grow soon after. Then he headed back down towards her chest. "So were was I?"

"Fayt…" she whimpered in the cute, blushing way, then found herself gasping as he kissed a path leading to breasts. As he began to massage with one hand, he buried himself in her cleavage once more. He gave her breast a few gentle squeezes and it sent shivers down her spine. He took a deep breath as he continued on, grazing his cheek across the left side of her bosom. He could feel her tensing up under the fabric, now passing his lips over this sensitive area. He heard her let out another whimper from this action. It only pushed him to want more. Carefully, he nibbled at the tightened area, making her whine more.

Aside from the cute whimpers and moans Maria seemed to be release more often, everything seemed calmer, encluding the once raging storm was now just a heavy downpour. However, things were just heating up between the two of them. Fayt was craving more of Maria's body. She managed to get him off her breasts just to get a little fun of her own. She placed a finger on his collarbone and ran it down over his bare chest and flat, but well muscled stomach. She stopped only for a moment over the hem of his pants before she continued over what she believed was more than just fabric. He only let out a brief gasp before chuckling to himself for a moment.

"Something else you wish to discard?" he asked, only receiving a mischievous smile from Maria.

"Maybe..." was her only reply.

Suddenly, it seemed as though her fear had completely dissipated, leaving only pure lust in its wake. However, it wasn't the body's natural desire for its own pleasure driving her. This was love. She wanted him. And he wanted her.

* * *

DT: Alright, NOTHER change of plans... I'm never going to finish this this thing! Between school, art and and finding the cure for the common cold; I've just pushed this back father and father... And probably some people are going to kill me for it ; I've gotten a bunch of comments about finishing it.

In short MUCHO SORRY TO EVERYONE!!!!!!!!

But, I'm posting this much, THEN will finally finish it in a third part! I know, it WAS going to be ONE part to start... Then I just got lazy, and procrastinated. A LOT! But I swear I'll finish, promise promise! Please don't plan to murder me before hand ; Later!


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